Radio K at Pitchfork Music Festival

Posts tagged "yo la tengo"

Pitchfork Music Festival

Chicago, 2013

Radio K's Best

Written by: Josh Olson

Edited by: Jerod Greenisen

Yo La Tengo

Yo La Tengo took the main stage and immediately began to start into a jam with Ira Kaplan and Georgia Hubley both playing guitar while James Mcnew played drums. The band switched instruments no less than 10 times throughout the night, each member playing every instrument on stage. Their set was also a great mix of noise-y jams and chilled out ballads. A fantastic highlight was when they played “Autumn Sweater,” with Ira singing and playing keys, while both Georgia and James played drums.

It's a gift to the world thatYo La Tengo is still around. Since before the time of Radio K's birth (1993) You La Tengo has consisted Georgia Hubley (drums) and Ira Kaplan (guitar), who are married if you didn't know with James McNew (bass). However that is not to say that that's how it always is, each member switches instruments several times each show. Yo La Tengo's most recent album, Fade, is the most shred-worthy to date and seems to spiral off wildly until you can't hold still any longer. Lots of respect for Yo La Tengo and their long haul.

Toro y Moi

Toro Y Moi brought the funk to the Green Stage this evening. Throughout the course of their 45-minute set, the band played a combination of new and old songs, with the latter being newly arranged to fit in with the band’s move away from their “chillwave” roots to more synth-based funk jams. This was easily one of the best sets of the entire day.

he product of a move from South Carolina to Berkeley, CA and the subsequent extended separation from loved ones, Toro Y Moi’s third full-length, Anything in Return, puts Chaz Bundick right in the middle of the producer/songwriter dichotomy that his first two albums established. There’s a pervasive sense of peace with his tendency to dabble in both sides of the modern music-making spectrum, and he sounds comfortable engaging in intuitive pop production and putting forth the impression of unmediated id. The producer’s hand is prominent—not least in the sampled “yeah”s and “uh”s that give the album a hip-hop-indebted confidence—and many of the songs feature the 4/4 beats and deftly employed effects usually associated with house music.

Blood Orange

By far one of the funkiest shows of the entire weekend, Blood Orange played to a packed crowd on the Blue stage, with singer and writer Devonte Hynes doing his best to channel his inner Prince. His set consisted of songs from his album and 7 inch release, as well as a cover of a Sky Ferreira. Everyone in attendance seemed astounded at the way Hynes played guitar, and he was shredding hard all night.

Domino Records' funkiest of the funk. We still love this 2011 release and we are very pleased to know that Lightspeed Champion is still touring with Blood Orange. Although more recently you've heard his project TRAAMS on Radio K. Lots of things happing from this artist, and he surely keeps us entertained.